The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-03-04

of Hyde Park, Mass, where he resides,
for the position of postmaster of that
place, and he is said to be regarded by
those who know him as man of high
character and ability. He is the au-
thor of volume entitled, "Music and
Musical People of the Colored Race
The Pension Veto.
The Presidents veto of the Deepen
dent Pension Bill is one of those hon.
est, courageous, independent, and
patriotic acts which are very character
istic of the man. 1t seems, indeed,
simple duty for the Executive to bafae
by the veto an outrageous raid upon
the Treasury but it is one of which
very few Executives would have been
capable in the face of great majorities
in both Houses of Congress, and of
the fear of both parties of alternating
''the soldier vote But the President
shows clearly and firmly the vagueness
and dangerous looseness with which
the bill was drawn, and describes plain
ly but temperately the pretences, false
hoods, and illicit devices of claim
agents, and justifies his veto to every
honorable mind. This is shown by the
generally favorable tone Of the op-
position press in discussing the mes
sage. Mere party spirit would have
attacked the President as heartlessly
Indifferent to the brave soldiers of the
Union, and as charging patriotic pen.
sion applicants with dishonesty, and
as currying favor with ex-Confederates.
The Republican press in general, how
ever, and, as the Buffalo Espress
truly says, speaking for the people,
approves the veto. But the New York
Tribune sneers that it i'll becomes a
President who was elected by rebel
votes to slur the defenders of the
Union. This is the natural tone of an
INSCRIPTIONS partisan organ. But there
can be few Republicans who read the
Presidents veto message, or the many
similar vetoes of individual claims
whose character we exposed last week,
who do not know that the Presidents
feeling toward the soldiers is that of
all loyal Union men, and that the
Characterization Of voters in the South
ern States as rebels is merely puerile
resource of partisan desperation.
In resisting this reckless assault up
on the Treasury the President recalls
Congress and the country to reason,
and restrains the thoughtless extrava-
gance which is the natural result of a
great surplus. He points out that the
bill departs from the principle of pen
sion bills for Union soldiers hitherto
in granting pensions merely for SER
vice. But he shows also that the gen.
eral impression is unfounded that there
have been heretofore no service pen
sion bills. In 1918, 1928, 1882, and
1871 there were such bills for service
in the Revolution and in the war of
1872, and the Mexican pension bill
passed at this session of Congress is q
service bill. But these bills were pass
ed so long after the service was render
ed, and presumptively for 30 few per-
sons, that they cannot be held as pre-
cedents for the proposed legislation.
10 show how vague are all calculations
of the probable number of claimants
and of the amount to be paid, the
President mentions that when the law
of 1918 was passed the number of pen
sioners was computed to be 374, and
the estimated exp ,nse was $4,000.
But the number of applicants proved
to be 22,297, and the amount allowed
was $l.S47,90 for 20,4S5 pensions.
In 1858 there was bill passed to pen
sion the widows of Revolutionary
soldiers who were married after Jan
uary /, 1900. 1t was supposed that
there were about 800 of them, but the
number of pensions allowed was 3742.
These figures show how entirely un-
certain are the estimates and calcula-
uons in regard to these bills. The
President alludes plainly, as was his
duty, but in perfectly proper and mod
crate terms, to the fsgrant deception
and want of good faith in the pressing
of claims by pension agents. Nothing
is more notorious. In his recent biog
raphy of Thomas H. Benton, Mr.. Theo.
dore Roosevelt says of his hero Ger.
tain of his speeches upon the different
land bounty and pension bills, passed
nominally in the interests of veterans,
but really through demagogy and the
Vaccinations of speculatols, could be
read with profit by not few Congress
men OF the present time. One of hif
utterances was, Il am friend to old
soldiers,-but not to old speculators.
The President knows, of course, how
the simple performance of his duty up
on this subject may be misrepresented
and he justly takes care to show dis
tinctly how fully he shares the righr
feeling of all good citizens for the
soldiers of the Union. But he state,
with equal distinctness and truthful
ness the generous provision which {
grateful nation has made for its ole
soldiers, and his belief that no worthy
old soldier asks to become an objec
of mere charity, These are his words
believing this to be the proper in
depreciation of the bill, ! cannot bu
remember that the soldiers of our ciyi
war in their pay and bounty received
such compensation for military servic,
as has never been received by soldier
before since mankind first went to war
that never before on behalf of any
soldiers have so many and such gen
erous laws been passed TO relieve
against the incidents of war; thai
statutes have been passed giving then
preference in all public employments
that the really needy and homeless
Union soldiers of the rebellion hay'
been to large extent provided for a
soldiers homes, instituted and support
ed by the government, where they arr
maintained together, free from tn,
sense of degradation which attaches
/ 10 tha usual supnorl of charity anf